Canadian soldier in Afghanistan proposes to girlfriend through newspaper story

Most of us get excited when we see our name in the newspaper, but Jessica Bannerman has to be ecstatic today.

When Bannerman walked into her office and sat down at her desk on April 17, she was greeted with flowers and numerous copies of the Ottawa Sun: all with her picture next to her now-fiance Cpl. Carl Manning inside. The story, bearing the headline "WILL SHE MARRY HIM?" told of the long road Manning took to plan the surprise and concluded by asking, "Well Jessica? What do you think? Want to make Carl the happiest man in the world?"

Manning got the answer he wanted.

"My sister called me first thing this morning and told me I was in the paper," Bannerman said in a QMI Agency story. "I saw Carl's picture right on the front page. I was shocked, but of course it's a yes."

Manning, who is currently deployed in Afghanistan, had been planning the proposal for months. As the proposal story explains, he contacted the Ottawa Sun with his plan, and the strategizing began as to how he'd be able to pull off the feat from 10,600 km away.

Danielle Sachs, the reporter behind the first story and the happy conclusion, contacted Bannerman under the guise of writing a story on couples who have one partner deployed overseas. Bannerman explained how they had just celebrated their one year anniversary on February 18 and what a phenomenal year the two had shared together.

Following up with Bannerman after she read what she had really been writing, Sachs reported that April 17 was already a significant day for Bannerman and her family: it's also her parents' anniversary.

Bannerman, her parents and her two sons now eagerly await Manning's return so they can begin planning their wedding together.

(Handout photo via Ottawa Sun)